This invention relates to an improved burner construction for water heaters and more particularly to the construction of the burner supply pipe for the burner construction.
The basic construction of a domestic gas hot water heater includes a cylindrical tank for the water with a concentric flue pipe projecting through the tank to the bottom of the tank. A burner unit is positioned adjacent the bottom of the tank so that burner combustion products will flow upwardly through the flue pipe and appropriate exhaust passages to the atmosphere. The entire assembly is surrounded by insulation.
The burner is generally supported on a burner supply pipe by means of special bracket assembly. Typically, burner supply pipes are tubular and include a horizontal run along the bottom side of the tank. This horizontal run makes a vertical upward turn and generally terminates with a gas orifice or nozzle. A bracket assembly is mounted over the gas orifice or nozzle to support the burner. Gas then ejects from the orifice or nozzle for mixing with air. The mixture flows upwardly to the burner for combustion so that the water in the tank may be heated.
In order to conserve space within the water heater tank assembly, and reduce the height of the total assembly as much as possible, it is desirable to minimize the vertical height of the burner assembly, including the burner supply pipe. Heretofore, because of the necessity for directing the burner supply orifice in a vertical direction upward toward the burner, the profile of the burner assembly has not been sufficiently flat to accomplish the objective of reducing the height of the heater. Since the burner must be spaced an adequate vertical distance above the orifice to provide adequate aspiration for primary air and complete combustion at the burner, the burner profile cannot be decreased by placing the burner closer to the gas discharge orifice. The present invention, however, provides an improved burner supply pipe structure which decreases the burner assembly profile relative to prior art burner assemblies.